Songs and Snowflakes
by ProtegoMaximaMyHeart
Summary: Severus spends his holiday with Lily and her radio.
1. Why Sev Never Comes Home for the Holiday

Severus spends his holiday with Lily and her radio.

Thoughts are in _italics._

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. The super awesome JK Rowling does. Nor do I own any of the songs presented in any of the chapters in this story.

Severus had decided to stay behind during his holiday break. It wasn't anything new. His parents were always fighting, even during the holidays. He thought that during this time, it was about coming together and forgetting all the animosity that had poisoned the Snape household. Not at all. Even in his seventh year, he has yet to spend yet one holiday at home.

He didn't feel weird about being one of the few that stayed behind. In all honesty, he enjoyed having a lot more free use of the Slytherin common room. He could sit on the squashiest couch that never seemed to be open and stay there as long as he wanted, practice making potions in his dorm without having to worry about others telling him to take it somewhere else and sleep in as late as he wanted. Hogwarts overall felt much more like home because he could roam around freely without fear of those stupid Marauders casting spells on him.

And yet...something was missing, and he knew exactly what it was.

For he had an unrequited love for his best friend, Lily Evans. Time and time again, he tried to pinpoint the exact moment that he had this epiphany and he could never figure that out. But it didn't matter, because he knew that she didn't feel the same way. Every holiday break, he hoped that she would stay and they would spend every minute of every day together just enjoying each other's company and (in his perfect world) proclaim their love by the fireplace and kiss...and every year, she goes home and spends the holidays with her family, but not without offering him a chance to stay with them. The Evans family was very loving and them treating him like a member of it always touched him, but he always politely turned them down. The main reason was that he knew that her sister detested him and he didn't want to bring unwanted tension into their home.

He was sitting on the window sill watching the snow lazily drift by the day everyone left, when a knock interrupted his thoughts. His head snapped to the door so fast, he heard his neck crack. _Who could that be?_ Normally, his friends went in and out as they pleased, so to hear someone knock was definitely out of character. He rubbed his neck and walked over to the door and was stunned to see who was on the other side.


	2. Great Minds Think Alike

CHAPTER 2: Great minds think alike

Lily loved going home to spend the holidays with her family. Or rather, her parents. Petunia had started dating that Vernon fellow at the beginning of the summer after fifth year. So even when the holidays were supposedly all about family, she had spent practically all of them with Vernon. Her parents tried to tell her that she should really be spending it with them and not him, but she managed to rationalize with them. Lily actually liked that Petunia wasn't around, but only because she was still bitter that Dumbledore rejected her request to come to Hogwarts. So at least she didn't have to hear "You're a freak!" day in and day out.

Her and her mum would spend a week at the minimum decorating the house so that it was fit for the holidays. The radio was left on the holiday station so that the house was always filled with Christmas music. She enjoyed how the winter season, though bitter cold outside, provided a wonderful incentive for the house to smell like cinnamon and cloves, apples and pumpkin, peppermint and chocolate. She loved her parents to death and loved to spend time with them, catching up on the happenings in the muggle world.

However, there was something missing. She knew what it was, too.

Sev, her best friend since they were 11, opted every year to stay behind at Hogwarts during the holidays. She felt bad because she knew it was because of his parents, which is why she offered a place in her house for him. He was always so polite when he declined, but she could see the pain in his eyes as he did. They both knew of the sour relationship that he had with Petunia. He was torn between staying with her family because he wanted to be with her and staying away to keep the peace, but he always chose the latter. Lily thought it was a very noble thing of him to do. She reminded him that Petunia was always with Vernon anyway, but that didn't sway his position.

Which is precisely why she asked her parents if she could stay behind this one year. They knew how close her and Sev were, so they allowed her to do so. However, she didn't tell him because she wanted it to be a surprise. So on the day that everyone was leaving, she made her way down to the dungeons, where groups of Slytherins were leaving. She craned her neck, hoping to spot her friend Andromeda Tonks, so that she could get the password to enter the common room. Luckily, she caught a flash of brown hair.

"Andromeda!" She yelled, flapping her arms.

Andromeda said her goodbyes to Lucius and Narcissa and ran over and hugged Lily.

"Hi Lily! You're staying behind this year?" She questioned.

"Yeah. I feel bad because Sev stays behind every year and this year, I wanted to surprise him."

She raised an eyebrow. It was clear to almost everyone in their year, except Lily, that Severus was madly in love with her. She wondered what brought this change and was eager to help it along. "Do you want to get into the common room?"

Lily grinned. "Please?"

They walked over to the wall that led to the entrance to the common room.

"Pure-blood," Andromeda said. The wall slide open and they walked in.

"Well, welcome to the Slytherin common room. The boys dorms' are up the stairs to the right. I have to catch my carriage, but happy holidays!" Andromeda hugged Lily left with a wink.

She surveyed her surroundings. The first thing that she noticed was that the Giant Squid was watching her through the window. She would have been alarmed, but she remembered Sev saying that the dungeon extended partway under the lake. It was a really nice common room, but it felt cold. _It must be the walls,_ she thought. They were concrete after all. Garlands and silver tinsel were hanging all along the walls, making the room a little bit brighter. The paintings were watching her curiously. "My best friend is upstairs and my other friend let me in," she stated. They nodded and went about their business. There were tables scattered around the room, with mini Christmas trees with decorations on them in the center of each one. Two squashy black leather couches were by the fireplace, which was burning low. She made her way to the back of the room, and went up the stairs. She stood in front of the door and knocked. She heard grumbling on the other side. When it swung open, Sev's face was nothing short of hilarious.


	3. Surprise!

Severus looked like he had just seen the Bloody Baron give someone a hug. But no. It was Lily standing in front of him with the biggest smile on her face.

"Surprise!" She threw her arms around his neck and felt his arms go around her waist with a little hesitation. She let go and leaned against the door frame.

"What? You're not happy to see your best friend?" She teased.

"No! I am! I jus- I wasn't expecting to see you! How did you even get in here?" He said.

"Andromeda let me in."

He was pleasantly surprised. He hadn't expected her to stay. But then his surprise turned to glee, because maybe this was the year that he would tell her how he felt. He blushed because he then realized that they were alone in his room. He tried to reason that they had been alone together loads of times. Now that they were older, it seemed like there a sort of charge in the atmosphere. Well, from his perspective. He watched her wander around his dormitory while he gathered his thoughts.

_This is what you've always wanted. An entire holiday with Lily! _

_She doesn't like you like that, mate._

_What if she does?_

_What if she doesn't?_

_I'll tell her anyway because I will spend the rest of my life regretting if I didn't._

"Sev?" _What are you going to do if she rejects you?_

"Sev?" _I'll still be supportive of whatever relationship she gets into, no matter how much it kills me._

"SEV!"

He snapped out of it to see that Lily was laying on his bed sideways, staring at him. He sat down next to her with his back against the headboard. She rolled over so that they were facing each other.

"Sev?"

"Hmmm?"

"Got any plans for today?"

He scratched the back of his head sheepishly. Originally, he was going to go to the library and read some of the more funny and outdated textbooks. So much for that plan, as he was now caught in a position to say something more exciting, as if to impress Lily.

"Er...not much. Why?"

She hopped off the bed with a big grin and threw his trunk open. Without even batting an eyelash, she rummaged past his drawers, at which he blushed furiously, and plucked out his winter coat, scarf, hat, and gloves. She threw the contents at him. She slammed it shut and pounced back onto his bed, resting at his feet.

"Because, silly, we're going outside! It's so beautiful outside and it's a waste to stay inside." As soon as he put on all his things, she dragged him out of the dungeon, all the way back to Gryffindor Tower. The Fat Lady was waving around her wine glass while giggling at something that Sir Cadogan said.

"Pas-hic-password?"

"Nargles."

The portrait swung open and they walked through the hole into the common room. Severus was surprised at how cozy and inviting it was compared to his common room, considering how small it was. There were several red squashy couches scattered around the room, along with tables surrounded by chairs. Like in the dungeon, the walls were adorned with garlands and tinsel, except it was gold rather than silver. The fire was crackling merrily, only adding to the homey feeling.

They went up the spiraling stairs to the girls' dormitory and went in. It looked like his dormitory, only with red curtains. It also smelled like a combination of flowers and spices. Nothing too overbearing or obnoxious. He sat down on her bed, which was a lot softer than his, while she went through her trunk to pick out her coat, scarf, hat and gloves. Once she put them on, she took his hand, and together they bounced (she forced him) all the way out of the tower, into the Entrance Hall, and out onto the grounds.

Once they reached an open part of the grounds, she let go of his hand and twirled around, arms out and face raised to the sky, her eyes closed. Severus was taken away by how beautiful she was. Her cheeks had turned rosy from the cold and her hair whipped around, it made her look like something out of a dream. Her slightly off-tune singing made him chuckle. She looked at him and pulled him towards her, and spun him around, and that made him laugh. They just spun around and smiled like idiots, relishing in the solidarity of this moment.

Lily loved the feeling of snow tickling her skin. The refreshing wind made her face go numb, but it reminded her that winter was a time to start anew. It also gave a sense of isolation. There was just something about being with one other person that made the moment like something in a dream. As if being the only two people in this seemingly desolate place meant being completely at peace. She stopped spinning and saw that he kept on going. An idea popped into her head. She smiled wickedly to herself as she bent down to scoop up some snow.

As he was spinning, he felt something splat against his back. He turned around and saw that Lily was tossing a snowball up and down in her hand. She was smirking, which he found oddly arousing. Pushing the nature of that thought aside, he reached down to form his own snowball, only to get hit square in the head.

Snowballs flew through back and forth, with and without magic. The air, once silent, was filled with howls, giggles, and squeals.

They returned to the castle hours later, dripping wet and shivering. They were laughing hysterically at the present state they were in. Unfortunately, because they had done so much, they were starving. To add to their misfortune, it was way past dinner, so the Great Hall was empty. Their stomachs rumbled and they groaned.

"I'm so hungry!" Lily whined.

Severus was staring at the Hall, eyebrows furrowed in deep concentration. Suddenly, he snapped his fingers. He took Lily's hand and dragged her up, down and around several hallways. They stopped in front of a large tapestry of a bowl of fruit.

"Sev, wha-" She stopped when he tickled the pear. She thought he was being silly until the pear started giggling and turned into a door handle. He pulled the tapestry aside and gestured for her to go ahead. She followed the pathway down and was surprised when she found that it went down into the kitchens.

There were house-elves everywhere, either putting away or making food, or talking in front of the fireplace, butterbeers in hand. A few of them turned around and waved, and went back to their business. But one of the house-elves shuffled over to them, evidently delighted. Lily noted that this house elf had enormous, almost bulbous, green eyes and a very long and pointy nose. He was wearing a pair of furry boots, a thick red sweater covered in snowflakes that went down to his knees, and a gold hat covered in pom poms. She had to stifle a giggle because he looked so silly, but so endearing at the same time.

"Mister Snape! So good to see you!" The house elf walked over and shook Severus' hand. He smiled and pulled out a bundle from his pocket and handed it to him.

"Merry Christmas Dobby! These are for you. Sorry they're not as nice the ones from last year."

"Dobby is happy with whatever Mister Snape gives Dobby!" He unwrapped the package and held them up with reverence. It was a pair of woolen green socks with reindeer all over them. Dobby teared up, which startled Lily. He plopped down on the ground, removed his boots, put his new socks on, and shoved his feet back into the boots. He hugged Severus around his legs, which he gladly returned. She saw the warm smile on his face and felt an odd fluttering in the pit of her stomach. He looked at her and slapped his forehead.

"Oh! Dobby! This is my best friend, Lily Evans." She approached him and held out her hand, which he took.

"It's nice to meet you, Dobby."

"Dobby likes meeting new friends of Mister Snape. Can Dobby get Mister Snape and Miss Evans anything?"

Lily was about to say hot chocolate, but Severus had read her mind. "Hot cocoa would be nice."

He returned with two big mugs filled with steaming hot cocoa. She gave her thanks, which he acknowledged with a bow. Just before the mug touched her lips, she turned to Dobby.

"Dobby?"

"Yes, Miss Evans?"

"Do you have any cinnamon?" Severus looked at her with a quizzical expression on his face.

A shaker full of cinnamon popped up on the table. Lily took it and happily shook it into her hot cocoa. She took in a nice long gulp, and felt the beverage slide down her throat, warming her entire body, groaning in satisfaction.

Severus shifted in his chair, painfully aware of how erotic that sound was, and coughed.

"Cinnamon, Lily?"

She looked at him as if he said something offensive about her mother. "It's the best Sev! Try it!"

He took the shaker and hesitantly shook it over his mug. He sipped his drink and was surprised at how it added a warmer note to his drink. He downed almost the entire drink in one go. He was about to ask Dobby if he could have another one, but looked down to see that it refilled automatically.

So there Severus, Lily, and Dobby sat. Between several cups of hot cocoa and multiple shakes of cinnamon, it was a great way to start off the winter holiday.


	4. Lakeside Conversations

BANG BANG BANG!

Severus almost had a heart attack when he heard someone knocking on the door. He wasn't exactly the most coherent in the morning. The most he could manage was a grunt, which is exactly what he uttered. He heard someone bound into the room, felt the light almost burn through his eyelids, and felt a solid weight flopping around on top of him.

"WAKE UP SEV!"

_Of course it's Lily. _He merely grunted again and rolled over. Being the Gryffindor that she was, she yanked back the covers and started to tickle him. He yelped and immediately retaliated. It was an all-out tickle war for what felt like a long time, but that was only because he wasn't fully awake quite yet. They stopped and started laughing. She sat against one of the posts and smiled at him, and he returned it gladly.

"Morning sunshine!" She said, beaming.

Ha had to laugh. They were total opposites, but they brought out the best in each other. "Morning to you too. So why did you have to barge into my room just to wake me up?"

"I know you're not a morning person, so I thought that I would speed up the process of waking up!"

"Well, what's on the agenda then?"

She tapped her chin and stared off into the corner of the room, evidently deep in thought. Severus grabbed the blanket and wrapped it around himself. She tried to pull it away from him, but he was surprisingly strong. He looked almost like a cinnamon bun, considering how warm the blanket looked. Lily then realized how cold the room felt, even with the furnace in the middle of the room. She grabbed a corner of the blanket and then rolled into it, and sidled up next to Severus. Sighing at how warm it was, she snuggled further, and thumped her head against his shoulder. One thing she never noticed before was how nice he smelled. It was like a combination of fresh detergent and sage; odd, but comforting.

"Lily?" He was afraid that his heart was about to burst out of his ribcage at their close proximity, but still delighted that she was comfortable with being so close to him. They have been best friends for six years, after all.

"Hm?" She was too content to notice how his voice had edged up an octave and how shaky it was.

"The agenda?"

She sat up and looked at him, her head tilted in curiosity. He stared right back, trying to keep on his best poker face. She could tell something was wrong. They were almost always able to read each other, but evidently, this was not one of those times. She disentangled herself from the covers and crawled out of his bed.

"We are going to have a nice walk around the lake."

Severus rolled his eyes and smiled, but got up off the bed anyhow. He began to go through his trunk to look for some clothes, but paused when he saw that Lily was still in the room. After shooing her out, he turned around to change into his winter wear.

* * *

><p>They met in the Entrance Hall and made their way out onto the grounds near the shore of the Black Lake. There were patches of ice on the surface and occasionally they saw a flash of red near the surface. Lily kept her hands in her pockets because they were still very cold, even with her furry gloves. She blushed when Severus offered her his arm and wrapped both of her arms around his. She leaned into him and felt him do the same. The walk was silent, but it was comfortable.<p>

"Sev, want to hear something crazy?"

"What?"

"One time in Transfiguration, Professor Dumbledore joked about how if Godric Gryffindor was still alive, his Animagi form would be the Giant Squid."

He chuckled. "I don't think that he would take on that form. He would seem fit to be a lion."

"A lion? Don't you think you're being a little obvious?"

"His house mascot is a lion. I think it's rather appropriate."

She snorted. "You're not thinking of all the possibilities!"

"Lily, what other possibilities could there be?"

"I think any animal that embodies bravery is a fit form for Godric."

"Whatever you say, Lily."

They continued to walk, taking in the view of the scenery. It was like something out of one of those Muggle photography books. The trees looked like they were covered in icing with the gentle snowfall. The gamekeeper's hut in the distance could have been mistaken for a gingerbread house with the bricks and decorations adorning the outside. There was no sound but the wind and the crunching of their footsteps, but they were perfectly content. Lily took this opportunity to reflect on everything: school, her family, life, her strange relationship with the Marauders and that git Potter, and her friendship with Sev. He noticed her silence.

"What are you thinking about?"

Her head barely reached his chin, so she had to crane her neck up to look at him. He looked down at her with curiosity and a gentle smile on his face. She smiled back, momentarily getting lost in his dark eyes. Flushing, she broke eye contact and stared ahead.

"Nothing."

"Lily." She was sometimes grateful that he could see right through her. It took a little bit to break through and get to her. It was only Sev who really knew that when she fell silent, she was mulling over things or was upset about something.

She sighed. "I just miss my family. That's all."

He felt a stab of guilt. He knew she stayed here for him, but she was still a little blue.

"Tell me about the holidays at your house. It seems like it's always a good time when you're all together."

She perked up, the sparkle back in her eyes.

"Where do you want me to start?"

He smiled. "Anywhere."

"Well, me and my mum decorate the house. You know how our color scheme is more with cool colors," he nodded, "but that totally changes in the winter. Everything is jewel tones, and gold and silvers. Just absolutely gorgeous. It smells like a cross between gingerbread cookies and hot cocoa with cinnamon," she winked, "and candy canes. Just the best smell ever. Our radio is never turned off because it just brings life into our home! On Christmas Eve, Tuney and I are allowed to open one present each. But in the morning, we open all of our presents and our dad takes way too many pictures. We all go to our grandparent's house in Surrey and have a really ridiculous dinner with our entire family. There are so many kids, we all play this game called White Elephant to exchange presents."

"Why do they call it White Elephant?"

Her face wrinkled up in confusion. "You know, I have no idea! Do you know what it is?"

He shook his head. "So basically, we all bring one present worth, let's say 150 pence. We all sit around the table and draw numbers out of a hat. We all pick a present based on the number we draw. The parents start a timer for 10 minutes. We each roll two dice. If someone gets a double, you get to exchange with someone else, and they HAVE to hand their present over. It gets intense really quickly, especially as the time runs out."

Severus had a vision of Lily and Petunia fighting over a present and coughed to hide his laugh.

"Why do you ask?"

"You're my best friend. I can tell when you want to talk about something, but you don't know how to start."

She got up on her tiptoes and gave him a kiss on the cheek. His head snapped down to lock his gaze with hers, his eyes wide with shock and wonder. The blush seemed to have taken residence on his entire face, but he didn't attempt to hide it at all.

"Wh-wh-what was that for?"

"For always being there for me. That's what friends do, didn't you know?"

He laughed nervously. "I didn't, but thank you anyhow."

Lily sighed and leaned against him with content. They continued walking and talking about whatever popped into their heads.

* * *

><p>They returned to the castle as the light grew dim. Luckily, they arrived in time for dinner. When they walked into the Great Hall, the first thing that they noticed was that there was only one table in the middle, considering that not that many people stayed. Among them were Arthur Weasley, Molly Prewett, Amos Diggory, and Xenophilius Lovegood. The staff table was occupied by most of the professors. While it seemed like an odd group of people, Severus and Lily were pleased to see that they were all talking animatedly. They joined them at the table.<p>

"Lily! I didn't know you were staying over the holiday!" Molly exclaimed.

"Yeah, I decided to shake things up a bit this year and see what the holidays are like at Hogwarts. Plus, I just missed Sev so much," she added with a wink in his direction.

The two girls quickly got into their own conversation. Severus sat there, a little awkwardly, but Arthur, Amos and Xenophilius jumped in to save him from boredom.

"How are your classes going this year, Severus?" Amos asked.

"Er, fine I suppose. History of Magic has got to be one of the most boring classes possible. Professor Binns just makes me fall asleep almost every class!"

"Yeah, I know what you mean," Arthur chimed in, "Xenophilius over here had to jab me in the ribs with his quill because he started to notice that I was drooling all over my parchment."

"Well, you were messing up your notes on the history of the Great Migration of the Blast-Ended Skrewts! It was a tumultuous time in history for them, you know. Poor things kept accidentally killing each other on their way to their sanctuary…" Xenophilus added, with a dreamy look on his face.

"Er, right. Well, anyway, got any plans for Christmas with Lily?" Arthur whispered.

Severus immediately blushed. "I haven't really thought about it that much…"

That was a total lie. He had crafted a master plan. He was going to take Lily out on a picnic in the snow on Christmas Eve and then hang out in his room afterwards. Then, when it was Christmas morning, he would present his present to her and then finally confess what he has been hiding all these years.

"Come on, Severus! It's bloody obvious to everyone in our year, except Lily, that you're mad for her," Arthur dropped his voice down for the last part of the sentence, which Severus was grateful for.

"You've got to pull out all the stops. I've heard Arthur and Molly talking about you and Lily, and mmmft—"Amos started to say, but Arthur shoved a corn muffin in his mouth.

"Wait, WHAT?"

Arthur and Amos glared at each other, but Arthur spoke up first. "I don't know if girls have some sort of super power or something, but they can read everyone really well. But anyway, Molly is certain that Lily feels the same way about you."

Severus spat out his pumpkin juice off to his side and stared at him. "What did she say?"

"Molly said that Lily gets this certain look in her eyes when she's with you. According to her, it's all about body language. She noticed that Lily has gotten a lot more comfortable around you. Have you realized that?"

"Actually…I have. I've been really happy about that, but I haven't been able to figure out why she's been doing that lately. She's my best friend. I thought that was the only reason."

"Oh, it's about more than that." Arthur waggled his eyebrows, but Xenophilius swatted him with his napkin. Arthur gave him a look and turned back to Severus.

"What do you mean, about more than that?"

"Molly thinks that she's doing this because A) She's more comfortable around you now that you're older and B) She wants you to feel the same way around her."

"Well, it's working. Is there some main point about this?"

"Yes." Arthur paused to stab a piece of turkey, swirl it around in his sweet potatoes and shoved it in his mouth. "SNOGGING."

Severus almost choked on his green beans. Xenophilius slapped his back to help it go down. Molly and Lily glanced over, shook their heads and went back to their own conversation, muttering, "Boys…"

"Why would she want to snog me?" He whispered.

"It's obvious, isn't it? She fancies you, mate!" Arthur concluded, slapping the table for emphasis. Amos, Xenophilius, and Severus tried to shush him, but Molly and Lily were already looking at them curiously.

"Who fancies who?" Molly asked.

All four boys looked at each other, as if telepathically trying to conjure up a story. Amos spoke up first.

"It's obvious that Alice fancies Xenophilius. I mean, really, she finds his stories be the most fascinating!" They all looked at him like he was mental, but moved on.

* * *

><p>They all stayed there until the fires burned low. Parting ways, Severus noticed that Arthur and Molly left for Gryffindor tower together, all giggly. Lily looked behind her and sighed.<p>

"What's wrong?" He asked.

"Nothing! Nothing really. I have to go back to my room to get something. Meet you in yours?"

He nodded. She smiled and skipped off. He went back to the dungeon, shaking his head and laughing.

He went back to his room and added more coal to the furnace in the center of it. It made the room considerably warmer, which he was grateful for. He flopped on his bed and waited. Sure enough...

BANG BANG BANG!

"It's open!"

She hopped into the room and landed on his bed with a radio in one hand, a bag over her shoulder, and a deck of cards in the other hand. There was a look of triumph and glee on her face.

"Lily! You know you can't use muggle objects inside Hogwarts!" He exclaimed.

"Relax! I asked Professor Dippet if I could bring it and use it. He said sure, and gave me a charm so that it would work inside the grounds."

She fiddled with it and smiled as the first of many Christmas songs played that night. They played every possible muggle card game they could think of and switched to Exploding Snap.

One song came on, and they both fell silent and just listened.

**Have yourself a merry little Christmas,  
>Let your heart be light<br>From now on,  
>our troubles will be out of sight<strong>

**Have yourself a merry little Christmas,**  
><strong>Make the Yule-tide gay,<strong>  
><strong>From now on,<strong>  
><strong>our troubles will be miles away.<strong>

**Here we are as in olden days,**  
><strong>Happy golden days of yore.<strong>  
><strong>Faithful friends who are dear to us<strong>  
><strong>Gather near to us once more.<strong>

**Through the years**  
><strong>We all will be together,<strong>  
><strong>If the Fates allow<strong>  
><strong>Hang a shining star upon the highest bough.<strong>  
><strong>And have yourself a merry little Christmas now.<strong>

They were laying on their backs, staring at the curtain, both deep in thought.

"Don't you just love Christmas songs?"

"Yeah, they're very calming."

"I just love how they give me this warm feeling inside. This is pretty much why the radio is never off." She paused, glanced at him, and stared at the curtain again. "Hey…Sev?"

"Yeah?"

"Is anyone else from Slytherin staying?"

"No. Why? Did you want to sleep over?" He jokingly asked, but his smile fell when he saw the blush that had crept to her ears.

"Well…I s-suppose so." He chided himself for stammering. _You have slept at each other's houses dozens of times. Why should this be any different? _But he knew the answer. _You two are all alone._

"It's just…Arthur is probably staying in Molly's room and…yeah I don't want to intrude."

"It's probably for the best then that you stay here then." She nodded. He then noticed the bag.

"Let me guess. Pyjamas in your bag?" He deadpanned, but couldn't prevent the smile for creeping onto his face. She smiled.

"You can change in the girls' dormitory. Just go back down the stairs and up to your left."

"Or I could just change in here, while you have your back turned." She added with a grin.

"WHAT?" His eyes almost popped out of their sockets.

"Sev, relax. I'm kidding. I'll be right back."

She returned later to see that the lights were dimmed and Severus was on one half of the bed. She crawled into bed and snuggled in.

"Good night, Sev."

"Good night, Lily."

Both had slept relatively well that night, if it hadn't been for the frantic beating of their hearts.


	5. Lily Can't Make Snowman Body Parts

Severus woke up first, grateful that he had shut his curtains the night before. Even with the curtains drawn, he was able to make out Lily beside him.

He took this opportunity to just gaze at her.

Her fiery hair was fanned out on the pillow, her head lolling to one side. Her neck and jawline were long and graceful, almost like a ballerina. Her full pink lips were slightly parted as she lightly snored. He found that endearing about her, even if she found it embarrassing. She had a look of serenity on her face, which he found was very appropriate for her. He thought that he looked like the mermaid in the window of the Prefect's bathroom, except with a much more tolerable personality. Her chest was rising up and down steadily, indicating that she was in a deep sleep. _How can I be best friends with someone as beautiful as her?_ She snorted every now and then, so he buried his face in his pillow to stifle his laughter.

When he looked up from her pillow, she was staring right at him with an amused expression, but also with a blush. He turned bright red and suddenly found the embroidery on his blanket to be most fascinating.

"Well, good morning to you too!" She said and lightly punched him on the arm for good measure.

"Good morning." He replied with a shy smile.

They sat there, for a little bit, trying to let their faces return to a normal temperature.

"Want to go get breakfast?"

"Sure."

They met in the Great Hall and sat with everyone else. She was telling him a funny joke and was about to berate him for not laughing at her punch line, but saw that he was gazing out the window, deep in thought.

She never really assessed his outward appearance until fifth year, when he hit his growth spurt. He moved a little awkwardly, she had to admit, but there was a definite change in his physique. He wasn't merely skin and bones. In fact, she noticed early on last year that his shoulders had broadened and his arms had more definition when he rolled his sleeves up during Potions class. His hair, which he had been ruthlessly teased for, looked considerably softer and had reached his chin. He lost the baby fat in his face and there was a hardness in it that indicated that he was getting close to reaching adulthood. She didn't understand why everyone gave him such a hard time about his looks. He was actually quite handsome…

Apparently, she lost track of how long she was staring at him because he was looking right at her with a smirk on his face. She opened and closed her mouth because she couldn't think of a good excuse for staring at him and settled for just blushing furiously at getting caught openly ogling.

_What has gotten into me lately? He's my best friend. Okay, he's handsome, but that's just merely observation. That's all it has to be…But then again, I have been flirting a lot more with him lately. Has he noticed? I wonder if he has. I don't even really know why I'm being so bold with him. _

"Hey Lily?"

"Yeah?" **Her** voice had jumped up two octaves. _Bollocks. Did he notice?_

"Did you have anything in mind to do today?"

She paused and looked outside. It was a light snowfall, perfect for what she was thinking of.

"I do, actually. But we need to go back to my room to grab some things."

They were outside the Gryffindor Girls' Dormitory when they heard some shuffling inside. Lily didn't think anything of until she opened the door.

She saw two pairs of legs and a head of red bushy hair and another head of full red hair very close to it, rolling around on the bed. They broke apart with a yelp. Lily squeaked and apologized and averted her eyes for a moment. Severus, on the other hand, just stood there in shock. The couple rearranged their clothing and sat up.

"Sorry, Molly and Arthur. I just needed to get a couple of things. I'll get them and, erm, we'll be on our way." Lily said. She threw her trunk open, plucked a few items out, shoved them into a bag, and pushed Severus out of the room.

"I'm so sorry you had to see that Sev. I know Molly and Arthur have a right to snog when they're alone. I should've knocked before I entered."

"It's fine. I'm sure they're glad that we left." He agreed.

Severus's mind went into overdrive, effectively replacing her friends with him and Lily. It brought a blush to his face, which Lily thought was a result of seeing those two. He wondered if she would ever considering doing that sort of thing with him. At first, he thought that was ridiculous. He thought back to their conversation at dinner. Maybe there was some hope for him…

She took him to the kitchen, but she didn't say anything to him when she asked Dobby for a few items, which she put into her bag. They went outside, and immediately Lily sprinted out into the snow. She laughed aloud, with her arms spread out at her sides, like a bird flying free for the first time.

He chuckled and followed her. They went out into the same open area that they were in the day before. She set down her radio and turned it on. Immediately, a familiar song to both of them came on.

**Sleigh bells ring, are you listening,  
>In the lane, snow is glistening<br>A beautiful sight,  
>We're happy tonight.<br>Walking in a winter wonderland.**

Gone away is the bluebird,  
>Here to stay is a new bird<br>He sings a love song,  
>As we go along,<br>Walking in a winter wonderland.

In the meadow we can build a snowman,  
>Then pretend that he is Parson Brown<p>

He'll say: Are you married?  
>We'll say: No man,<br>But you can do the job  
>When you're in town.<p>

Later on, we'll conspire,  
>As we dream by the fire<br>To face unafraid,  
>The plans that we've made,<br>Walking in a winter wonderland.

In the meadow we can build a snowman,  
>And pretend that he's a circus clown<br>We'll have lots of fun with mister snowman,  
>Until the other kids knock him down.<p>

When it snows, ain't it thrilling,  
>Though your nose gets a chilling<br>We'll frolic and play, the Eskimo way,  
>Walking in a winter wonderland.<p>

"We're going to make a snowman!" She exclaimed while jumping up and down. Severus rolled his eyes, but got to work.

As they worked, they started singing along and laughing. He noticed that she couldn't make a perfectly round ball, but she kept on working, grumbling while constantly packing on more and more snow to even it out.

"Need some help Lily?"

"Thanks, but no thanks. I can manage making a ball on my own."

"I don't think so."

He crouched behind her, thankful that he had longer arms. Otherwise, it would have made this a lot more awkward than it already was. Awkward, but wonderful. His hands went around hers, gently guiding them to make a nice compact snowball.

"Move forward," he whispered in her ear, nudging her shoulder with his chin. She felt shivers and gulped.

They shuffled forward, stopping periodically to compact more snow.

Lily almost had to pinch herself at the reality of the position she was in. Severus had **never** been this bold with getting close to her. In all honesty, there was an unspoken agreement about keeping space between each other out of respect. As best friends, they were allowed to encroach on that, right? She wondered if it was different and if it had a different context between best friends who were of opposite genders.

There was a definite increase in tension in the air between them after they finished their snowman. Even as they were admiring their work, they kept sneaking side glances at each other. Lily was proud of the lopsided coal smile and eyes on his head, along with the bright carrot nose. She pouted when Severus made fun of the chunky, multicolored scarf that Molly made that wrapped around his neck. He admired the hat though. It reminded him of the Mad Hatter.

They decided to walk down to Hogsmeade to go get some Butterbeer at The Three Broomsticks. Once seated at a table, they glanced around. It was relatively busy, but by no means packed compared to when Hogwarts students came in. Two mugs of Butterbeer came with a thud on their table. Lily took her glass and raised it. Severus did the same.

"To what do we owe our glasses?" Severus asked.

"To…life, and to the best holiday and for many more to come," she replied.

CLUNK! They drank their Butterbeer, sighed and leaned back against the chair. They both looked out the window, contemplating what happened when they made the snowman.

_I wonder if I was too forward with helping her make the snowball. She didn't seem to mind it though…I mean, I wanted to help her, but of course I wanted to get close to her. It's what I've always wanted. I've got a really good feeling about the rest of this holiday. Get a grip, Severus. You need to keep six toes on the ground. There's always that hope, but don't let reality escape you. _

_What does Sev have planned next? He was very forward, but after the first shock, I didn't mind. Now that I think about it, I wouldn't have asked him to stop…He would probably think I'm just joking around. But really…I would never joke about something like that, especially after everything else that's been happening this holiday._

He glanced at her, then the mugs, then everyone around them, and suddenly had an idea.

"Lily? Do you want to play a game?"

She looked at him. "Umm…sure. What kind of game?"

"It's a drinking game," her eyes widened, "but just with Butterbeer. Every time we see someone wearing some ridiculous Christmas outfit, like a Muggle would, we have to drink a glass of Butterbeer. Agreed?"

"Sev, I doubt that **that** many people would wear that type of out—"She saw someone walk in wearing a hideous sweater with kittens with bows on them. Glaring at Severus, who raised his glass, she drank her mug.

They left Three Broomsticks a couple of hours later. There definitely wasn't enough alcohol in Butterbeer to make a human drunk, but it at least lowered inhibitions. Lily was extremely giggly and Severus was just smiling all the way back to Hogwarts.

"Lily, are you staying over again?"

"Hee hee why yes I am!"

They rambled on in incoherent sentences, but laughed as if they were telling each other the funniest jokes in the entire world. The ghosts floating around the castle either laughed at them or merely smiled at the ridiculousness of their behavior

"Lily, I just thought of something." He muttered the password and led them in the dungeon.

"What?" She followed him up the stairs to his room.

They flopped onto his bed, her head on his stomach. "I heard there was some sort of enchantment on the stairs that led to the Gryffindor girls' dormitory that made it turn into a slide if boys tried to go up them. How in Merlin's name did Arthur get up that slide?"

She sighed dramatically. "You know, at first, I wondered too. Knowing those two, they probably thought of **something**. I asked her about it too and she refused to tell me. But, she did say that it was such a pain that they just ended up going to his room instead to, er, hang out."

They laid there for a while just making small talk. When they started to feel sleep overtake them, they changed into their pyjamas (with Lily leaving the room to do so, of course) and crawled into bed after shutting the curtains. He snuggled into his sheets and was well on his way to a good night's sleep.

"Seeeeevvvvvvv." Just the way she said his name, in that husky tone, made his skin crawl, but in a good way. _It's just the Butterbeer talking, it's just the Butterbeer talking._

"Yes, Lily?"

"Seeeevvvvvvv…you're so far away from me." He rolled over to see half of her face peering up from his pillow. There was a dark glint in her eye and a smirk on her face, as if she knew exactly what she was doing.

"Well, love, why don't you come over here?" _LOVE? Why did I just call her love? Gah, I had too much Butterbeer. I don't think I would ever have this much audacity to say such things with such intent with her in a clearer state of mind. Or…maybe I would. I've become so much more bold over these past few days…_

His thoughts were interrupted when her head rested on his chest and her hand curled around his night shirt. He froze at first, but eventually rested his arm around her shoulder.

The last thing he heard before he dozed off was, "I wish I could spend every night like this…"


	6. The Stars and Moon Have Been Blown Out

Lily woke up very early the next morning and noticed that her head was slowly moving up and down. She then realized that her head was on Severus's chest. His arms, which she remembered started out as only one around her shoulder, turned out to be two, with the second one around her waist. Her arm was around his torso, while the other was curled in between them. She craned her neck up to look at him. He had a gentle smile on his face.

_I wish he would smile like this more often. It's very becoming on him…_

She wrapped her arm around him tighter and went back to sleep.

They woke up around the same time. They both turned extremely red, but didn't bother to get move out of each other's arms.

"Good morning," he said.

"Good morning," she squeaked.

She heard his heart beating frantically and wondered if he could hear hers. He wondered the same exact same thing and was reciting the twelve uses of dragons' blood in his head to help his heartrate go down.

Without even thinking about it, his fingers ran through her scalp, gently massaging it. He was surprised when she shuddered then groaned and became fully relaxed. He continued his ministrations, pleased at her reactions. Shifting his hand all over her scalp (he wanted to have his bases covered), her head lolled against his chest, sighing in content.

"So, what do you want to do today?" She asked.

"It's Christmas Eve. I had something planned out actually." He replied with a smile.

"What were you thinking?"

"You'll find out soon enough," he added a wink for good measure. "Just wait out for me in the Entrance Hall. And bundle up."

They met in the Hall later on in the day. She was surprised to see him holding a picnic basket over one arm and two blankets over the other. Walking out into the sun, she winced at how bright it was, with the sunlight bouncing off of the snow.

He offered her his arm and she took it gladly. Together, they made the long trek to the Black Lake. On the way there, she noticed that she was shivering and he shifted his arm to go around his shoulder. She leaned into him and wrapped her arm around his middle. It felt…right to her. But then again, she saw multiple **couples** walking around Hogwarts in the same manner.

_Does he want to be a couple? I wonder if that's why he's been acting like this…_

Severus was smiling on the inside when she wrapped her arm around him. He felt like they were slowly making the transition to be just more than friends. To his delight, Lily wasn't making any objections to everything that was going on. Being her best friend, he knew that she was mulling things over in her mind. He didn't want to push her to spill her feelings, for he wanted her to tell him when she was ready.

They made it to their favorite tree. He laid one blanket on the ground and placed the other off to the side. Out of the basket, he pulled out two thick sandwiches, two big gingerbread cookies and a canteen of hot chocolate (mixed with cinnamon) and two mugs. They sat down with their backs against the tree and looked out at the scenery, happily munching on their sandwiches. Washing it down with hot chocolate, they poured themselves another glass and dunking their cookies in it.

They stayed there until the sun went down, reminiscing on past school years, reflecting on the present and whispering their hopes and dreams for their future. While it was beautiful with the moon bouncing off of the lake and the starts sparkling like diamonds, it was also way colder. They used the extra blanket and curled up underneath it. Lily took out her wand and muttered, "Lacarnum Inflamare". Tiny balls of fire floated around them. Severus was alarmed, but she smiled and reached out and touched them, obviously not getting burned. With the gentle glow of the fire, her skin positively radiant. He would never stop being in awe of her beauty, nor her kind, yet fiery and passionate nature.

She leaned her head on his shoulder and he nestled his head on top of hers, putting his arm around her shoulder. She had a dreamy look on her face as she looked at the moon. She remembered her parents telling her about the "Man in the Moon" when she was younger. Whenever she looked at it during those hot summer nights or out her window in the winter, she always tried to look for it. She could never find it, but she would never give up until she saw him.

"Beautiful, isn't it?"

She looked at him, expecting some deadpan response, but felt her heart stop when he looked her dead in the eye and, "Yes, you are."

They just stared at each other and felt strings pulling them closer together, but still something was repelling them. They cleared their throats, and looked away.

"Do you want to go back now?" He asked.

"Sure."

On the way back, they resumed the same position they did on their way down to the Lake, feeling as if everything was right with the world.

Unbeknownst to them, Molly and Arthur were taking their own nighttime stroll. They saw a flash of red hair in the moonlight and immediately knew that it was Lily with Snape.

"Molly, are they together?" Arthur asked.

Molly smiled. "Not yet."


	7. I Ought To Say No, No, No, Sir

They met back in his room after she mentioned that she needed to get a couple of items from her room. He was sitting on the couch, reading a letter from Lucius about how his holidays were going when she walked in.

"How come whenever I come in here, the fire is never going?" He looked up to see her staring at it, hands on her hips.

"I dunno. I guess it's just something we never got around to doing." He resumed reading his letter.

She took out her wand and pointed it at the fireplace. Soon it was crackling merrily. She had mastered non-verbal spells early on last year.

She took out a big box that she had placed on the side table and dumped out the contents out on the carpet in front of the fire. He looked up from his letter to see a bunch of little objects on the floor. She was laying on her stomach, moving a bunch of them around and putting them together. Severus recognized it as a puzzle, so he joined her on the floor. She rolled across the floor and turned on her radio and she rolled back over to resume working on her puzzle. The music was more of background noise than actually capturing their attention.

"So why did you bring a big puzzle for us to do?" He asked.

She smiled warmly and looked up at him. "It's this thing that my mum and I do every year. We sit by the fire, sing along to the radio and attempt to finish a puzzle."

They continued to work on the puzzle, each deep in their own thoughts. He wasn't sure what they were making a picture of, but it looked like a happy scene. It looked like a snowy hill, with various groups of people doing different things on it. Sledding, snowball fights, making snowmen, it could go on.

The puzzle was almost complete when the next song came on. He jumped almost a foot in the air when Lily squealed loudly. The intro was pretty recognizable, and she pulled him off the floor.

"Sev! Come! Sing with me!"

"…No." She rolled her eyes and skipped around the room. As she started singing, he muttered the words. Sighing, he resigned and joined her around the room.

(A/N: Lily is in regular, Snape is in **bold**, brackets indicate actions)

I really can't stay  
><strong>(But baby it's cold outside)<strong>  
>I've got to go away<br>**(But baby it's cold outside)**  
>This evening has been<br>**(Been hoping that you'd drop in)**  
>So very nice<br>**(I'll hold your hands, they're just like ice) [**He took her hand and spun her around.]  
>My mother will start to worry<br>**(Beautiful, what's your hurry?)**  
>My father will be pacing the floor [She paced the floor by the fire]<br>**(Listen to the fireplace roar) [**He gestured to the fire]  
>So really I'd better scurry<br>**(Beautiful, please don't hurry)****  
><strong>But maybe just a half a drink more  
><strong>(Put some records on while I pour)<strong>  
>The neighbors might think<br>**(Baby it's bad out there) [**He pointed outside]  
>Say what's in this drink?<br>**(No cabs to be had out there)**  
>I wish I knew how<br>**(Your eyes are like starlight now)**  
>To break this spell<br>**(I'll take your hat, your hair looks swell) [**He bowed in a gesture to take her "hat"]  
>I ought to say "no, no, no sir" [She sat on the couch and slid towards one end]<br>**(Mind if I move in closer?) [**He followed her until he almost had her pinned to one side]  
>At least I'm gonna say that I tried [She tilted her head at him]<br>**(What's the sense in hurtin' my pride?) [**He feigned being hurt]  
>I really can't stay<br>**(oh baby don't hold out)**

both: baby it's cold outside

I simply must go  
><strong>(But baby it's cold outside)<strong>  
>The answer is no [She wagged her finger at him]<br>**(But baby it's cold outside)**  
>Your welcome has been [She glided to the outside perimeter of the common room]<br>**(How lucky that you dropped in) [**He followed her]  
>So nice and warm<br>**(Look out the window at that storm) [**They stood by the window]  
>My sister will be suspicious<strong><br>****(Gosh your lips look delicious) [**He traced a finger on her lower lip]  
>My brother will be there at the door [Her eyes followed it]<br>**(Waves upon the tropical shore) **  
>My maiden aunts' mind is vicious<br>**(Ooh your lips are delicious)**  
>But maybe just a cigarette more<br>**(Never such a blizzard before)**  
>I've gotta get home [She walked to the entrance of the common room]<br>**(But baby you'd freeze out there) **[He circled around her, leading her inside]  
>Say lend me a coat<br>**(It's up to your knees out there)**  
>You've really been grand<br>**(I thrill when you touch my hand) **(He took her hand and placed one on her waist]  
>But don't you see? [She placed the other on his shoulder]<br>**(How can you do this thing to me?) [**They danced by the fire]  
>There's bound to be talk tomorrow [She broke away and circled the couches]<br>**(Think of my lifelong sorrow)**  
>At least there will be plenty implied [She leaned over the couch]<br>**(If you caught pneumonia and died)** [He leaned over too]  
>I really can't stay<br>**(Get over that old out)**

both: baby it's cold [He took her hand again, spun her and together they sat on the couch]  
>baby it's cold outside [Her head was on his shoulder, his head was against hers and his arm was on his shoulder]<p>

The song ended and they stayed in that position. However, the tension from the day before had returned full force and soon they were hyperaware of the situation. She sat up and leaned against the couch, but still kept her head on his shoulder. If she lifted her head, their faces would be very close, and that could only lead to snogging.

_Can I do this? Can I actually take the next step?_ She gulped. _Just play it cool, Lily. Play it cool._

She lifted her head and leaned back just a little bit. He looked at her, trying to keep a calm exterior.

_Don't make any sudden movements. Just…say something not at all related to the position you're in_.

"Lovely song." _Close enough._

"Yeah. It's," she coughed, "a great song. Quite playful, don't you think?"

"It is." He nervously laughed. She quickly averted her eyes to look at his sweater.

Now an awkward silence filled the common room to the brim. She found his sweater to be most fascinating, but his fingers gently guided her face up to look him in the eyes. His dark eyes had a tenderness in them that she had never seen before. They flicked down to her lips, which she had inconveniently chose to lick at that exact moment, and back to her. Her breathing had become a little heavier. _It's just the heat. The fire is really warm and I'm wearing a sweater._ She leaned in with a microscopic proportion, just to see was he did, but he leaned in too. Their foreheads were touching, but they weren't making any eye contact. However, they were well aware that their lips were barely brushing, and they were a little of wary of making full contact.

"Sev, you do realize that we can't just be friends after this, right?" She whispered.

"Lily, I don't think we were ever meant to be just friends." He whispered back.


	8. Your Lips are Delicious

When their lips finally did make full contact, it was like a fire burst inside both of them. He inhaled sharply and placed his hand on her face, gently caressing her porcelain skin. Time seemed to have grinded to a halt for both of them. Lily placed one hand on the back of his neck, pulling him closer. They broke apart, smiled, and dove back in, both reveling in this moment. Severus was very close to pinching himself. This was too good to be true for him, and he almost felt like his dreams were coming true. The only thing that was missing was him telling her that he loved her and that she felt the same all this time.

Keeping her hand on his neck, she pulled him down until her back was on the couch and he was on top of her. It was awkward because he didn't know how to situate himself. He kept snogging her, moving his lips to her neck. Placing feather-light kisses all along his jawline, she sighed and lovingly ran her fingers through his hair. Moving back up to her lips, he felt her shift her legs until he was settled in between them. He felt his face heat up at being in such an intimate position. Severus may not have done **those** sort of things, but he wasn't stupid. Being in a close-knit group of friends, they often told of their shenanigans with other girls around school, late at night on the weekends after they finished their homework. They never made fun of the fact that he had yet to have that sort of experience, and he was thankful for that. Even with all those stories, and with how fascinating they were, he was perfectly content with just snogging.

Lily knew that deep down she had always had strong feelings for Severus. She didn't know why she didn't do anything about them until now. Was it because of fear of rejection? _No_. It was more with being secure with her own feelings and making sure that they were true and real. If she told him straight away, there was the possibility of that romantic feeling burning out, leaving her feeling guilty and him heartbroken. But that didn't matter. All that mattered was that they were here now.

Severus wrapped one arm around her waist while keeping the other on her head, holding her as close as possible, as if he thought she would disappear with a pop. He was always fond of her lips. They were perfectly smooth, full, never chapped, and feeling fantastic against his. He bit her bottom one gently and sucked on it. She wrapped his arm around his neck, gently scratching the back of his head. Shivers ran all the way through his body. He felt her tongue poke out and he met hers with his. _How strange…ly wonderful._ French kissing was now officially one of his new favorite things to do with Lily, with plain snogging obviously being at the top. He didn't know why it was called French kissing, but he ought to write a letter to them anyhow for coming up with this wonderful thing.

He stopped to look down at her. Her head was tilted in confusion as to why he stopped. What she realized was that the tender look was back and she felt her heart thump out of her chest when this time, it was directed at her. The gentle smile, like when she watched him sleep, was present as well and that only served to make her beat even after, if that was possible. Severus rubbed his thumb on her cheek, leaning down to kiss her forehead.

"You're beautiful, Lily Evans." He whispered. _I will tell you every day._

"Sev…"

She was cut off by his lips on his once more.

The snogging became more passionate and more insistent. They both felt a fire burning low in their bodies, but they knew each other well enough to silently acknowledge that this was not one of those nights. Lily moved up against Severus to pull him all the way down to her and heard a hiss. Curious, she repeated the action; a groan was released. She had heard from Molly and Alice stories of their experiences with Arthur and Frank. They swore that they were going to save until marriage, so they restrained themselves, and with that, learned a great deal about things other than snogging that could fulfill those urges.

They continued to do that until the fire burned low. Noticing how cold it was in the common room, they went up to his room to get ready for bed. In her normal routine, she stepped out of the room to change. Settling into bed, they held each other close. It was clear within the first 10 seconds that sleep was the last thing on their minds after the events in the common room. Throughout the night, they alternated between snogging, cuddling, and attempting to sleep in their own little cocoon, separated from the rest of the world. When they finally did go to sleep, it was probably the best night's sleep that either of them ever had.


	9. Always

Severus woke up the next morning and felt something warm against him. Looking down, he smiled when he saw that it was Lily. He recalled that they shifted to a spooning position, with her pulling his arms across her, holding her tight against him. Her heartbeat was nice and relaxed, which also made him relaxed. She stirred for a moment, and then settled back down. He bent over her and saw that her eyes were vaguely open.

"Good morning, love, and Happy Christmas." he whispered in her ear, adding a kiss on her cheek.

She giggled and rolled over to face him. Eyes full of wonder, she leaned up and kissed him, only for him to hold her there. They let go and just laid there, enjoying each other's company. Lily yawned and arched her neck and back, which only gave him a good reason to pepper her neck with kisses.

"Good morning to you, too. You are very touchy this morning. Happy Christmas to you as well." She quirked a smile.

"I hope you don't mind. Just…after last night, I can't seem to keep my hands off you."

"I don't mind at all. I kind of saw this coming."

"How?"

"Woman's intuition," she said with a wink.

He laughed. "It IS Christmas after all. Don't you think it's only appropriate that we exchange gifts?"

"You're right! I have yours in my pocket!" She crawled off the bed and retrieved her jacket that was thrown over his trunk. Severus was very curious; it was a wide and flat parcel, wrapped in silver wrapping paper covered in hollies. In fact, it looked a lot like a book. Severus also got off the bed and went to his trunk and opened it. He pulled out a really small package. It was a small red satchel tied with a thin satin red ribbon.

They exchanged presents.

"Sev, you open yours first!"

"If you got me another book, Lilly, I'll be upset." he said drily. The smile that he added made it clear that he was only kidding. He tore the wrapping paper and his breath caught. Lily was watching him with eager anticipation. Inside was a handsome black leather journal. He flipped it open and was surprised when nothing was written on the front page. But on the inside cover, there as a simple message embossed in silver:

To my Prince,

Love Always,

Lily

He turned to her, his throat dry with emotion.

"I couldn't think of anything that was too girly, so I chose that. You are my prince, and that's not just because of your former last name. Do you like it?"

"Lily…I love it. Thank you. I will write in this all the time. " He gave her a peck on the lips. "Now, here's yours. I hope you like it."

His heart was pounding almost out of his chest when she untied the ribbon. She froze when its contents were revealed. It was a delicate silver chain and hanging on it was a silver doe. Its eye, which is normally nonexistent, was a tiny, but brilliant, emerald. Her hands shook as she turned the necklace over and gasped at the engraving:

"This doe is beautiful, but it will never compare to you. Love, Sev"

She practically tackled him to the bed. He laughed as he hugged her. "I'm assuming you like it?"

"Sev…this is absolutely beautiful. Will you help me put it on?"

Lily held up the clasp and chain and he took it. Brushing her hair off of her neck, he closed the necklace and hugged her from behind.

_This is it. __You've got to tell her how you feel._

He took a deep breath. "Lily, there's something I've been meaning to tell you."

She turned around and sat down Indian-style, waiting patiently. But it was clear that her eyes were dancing because in truth, she knew what was coming. He took both of her hands in his.

"You are my best friend and have been since we first met. You know that. But...over the past few years, I feel like those feelings have grown into more than that. The more we have been together, the more you have made me realize of the man I should be. You have taught me how to be confident in myself and to let go once in a while. I think that's the reason that I have fallen so in love with you. Even when I felt like we were slipping away from each other, I never lost hope. Because I knew that, somehow, we would come back together."

She smiled gently. Instead of giving a proper response like he hoped she would, she leaned up and gently kissed him, pulling apart enough to look in his eyes, her message clear as the light of day.

"After all this time?"

"Always."


	10. What's So Important About A Silver Ball?

Severus and Lily spent the days leading up New Year's Eve together as much as possible, while also getting together with Arthur, Molly, Xenophilius and Amos. The group went to Hogsmeade, played in the snow and spent time in each other's common rooms, happy for company. They sensed a shift in the relationship between Severus and Lily, but didn't want to pry. Their suspicions were confirmed on New Year's Eve morning. The pair came into the Great Hall for breakfast looking completely relaxed, but still exuding the utmost of happiness, while holding hands. Their laughter filled the Hall as they talked about everything, from what they had done during the holidays to what their families were doing back home.

They departed the Hall and decided to walk around the lake as a group, enjoying the seemingly perpetual sunshine. They started talking as a giant group, but soon paired off, each carrying their own conversation. No one seemed to mind, but they were amused as they caught bits of each other's conversations. Amos and Xenophilius were snickering as Arthur was attempting to explain why he gave Molly a rubber duck as a Christmas present, while the latter pair were tuning into Severus and Lily's topic of New Year's resolutions.

"My mum always asks me to make some good resolutions, but I never really got why we make them in the first place."

"Sev, it's because each year is a fresh new start. You know, resolutions are..erm…promises that you make to yourself that you hope to fulfill during the year."

"Okay than. What are some of yours?"

She tapped her nose in thought. "I would have to say being diligent and making amends."

He gave her a sidelong look. "Lily, you are Head Girl, charismatic, and you're the top of our class. Why in Merlin's beard would you want to make resolutions for things that you're already doing so well with?"

"It's mostly due to Tuney. She still holds a grudge and I always hope that one day, she can learn to let it go. I can only help the process along so much…What about you?"

He stared at out at the lake with his hands shoved in his pocket, deep in thought. "Now that I'm really thinking about it, I'd say…learning to stand up for myself."

"The Marauders?"

He nodded. "As much as I really want to throw a Jelly-Legs Jinx at them whenever we make eye contact, I know that I'm better than that. You taught me that with being assertive with my words. Thank you for that, by the way." He held out his hand and she took it, squeezing with reassurance.

The group went back to the castle and ate dinner together, further discussing the merits of resolutions. Severus and Lily parted a little while later, for they had their own plans for New Year's Eve. He rolled his eyes as all of the guys waggled their eyebrows, but laughed anyway.

Lily had packed some leftover pastries into a small bag and bundled it into a pair of blankets. The pair made their way up to the Astronomy Tower to watch the night sky light up with the occasional firework from Hogsmeade. She sat with her back against his chest and his arms around her.

"You know what I never understood? The ball dropping. I've seen it in pictures." He wondered aloud.

"I think it has something to do with it signaling in the New Year. I've never really put that much thought into it either. I would love to go there for New Year's Eve."

"Where?"

"America. In Times Square in New York, they have this big elaborate celebration with lots of confetti and fireworks. My family and I watch it every year."

"What's New York like?"

"Like London it seems. Except crazier."

"Doubt it. But it sounds like a place I should visit, and take you along as well." He dropped a kiss on her head.

"There's this other tradition as well. I've always wanted to do it, but I've never found someone to do it with."

"What is it?"

"I always see couples kiss right at midnight. I don't understand why, but it seems terribly romantic."

"Well, now you have someone to do fulfill that with."

"That I do."

As the roar of the crowd in the distance grew louder, they stood up and leaned against the railing. Lily leaned back against Severus, sighing. Her ears perked up as the roar became more distinct. It was a countdown.

"10!" They looked at each other and smiled.

"9!" _This was the best Christmas I could have ever asked for with Lily._

"8!" _I didn't think that things would turn out this way so soon, but I'm glad it did._

"7!" He crushed her with a bear hug.

"6!" She reciprocated.

"5!" They let go of each other.

"4!" He brushed her hair out of her eyes.

"3!" "I love you, Lily Evans."

"2!" "And I love you, Severus Snape."

"1!" They leaned in…

"HAPPY NEW YEAR!" Their kiss was nothing short of spectacular as the fireworks that flooded the sky as the clock in the clock tower rung at midnight.

To say that this was a wonderful holiday for Severus Snape is a tremendous understatement. Their time together after the holiday should have come as a shock to the population of Hogwarts. After all, Gryffindors and Slytherins are sworn enemies. But as it has turned out, sometimes the students from these houses could have a love that makes the rivalry seem like nothing more than a dream. For those who saw the pair together and looked past the houses, they only saw a boy who loved a girl and girl who could have loved him too…luckily…she did.


End file.
